Evans Exits

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This AP story is from the online SJ-R breaking news page:

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, an Illinois Democrat who has battled Parkinson's disease for more than a decade, announced Tuesday that he will not run for re-election.

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Evans, a former Marine whose district includes a sliver of Sangamon County, was first elected to Congress from his western Illinois district in 1982.

He was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1995. He didn't go public for three years, worried the revelation would stigmatize him. Evans has said he first realized something was wrong with him when he attended a parade and could not wave his left hand.

Two years ago, Evans said his illness "doesn't prevent me from doing my job 365 days a year." He said he still ran twice a week and maintained a hectic congressional schedule.

But Evans has not been able to attend meetings of Congress or cast votes since receiving medical attention Feb. 14, his office has said. Evans was briefly hospitalized and has been at home in Washington, D.C., since then.

Evans ran unopposed in last week's primary so Democratic leaders are going to have to pick a new candidate.

It’s sad but I think he made the right decision. I said as much a couple of weeks ago when I wondered what motivated him to run again.